Combined Human Resources Service Center

Leslie Holland, BLM Deputy State Director for Support Services, 907-271-4598

Additional Information: Yuko Meegan supervises the Combined HR Services Center. It contains both BLM and FWS employees, and Yuko has both a BLM and FWS assistant supervisors. She has two offices, one at the FWS office there and one at BLM State Office. Their situation as a HR Center is a little tricky: authorization for the Center preceded actions like the National Service First MOU. Therefore, they also use a local MOU between BLM and FWS (see database). Being a FWS employee, Yuko is able to approve budgetary matters for other FWS employees (e.g., TDY, vouchers). The BLM state director in Alaska delegated Yuko the same power for BLM employees, but she still needs approval for such actions from the BLM.

Even though Bettles is the smallest village in Alaska, this remote, fly-in community serves as the most common launching-off point for visitors into Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. The Bettles Ranger Station is open year-round and serves visitors interested in or planning trips into Kanuti Wildlife Refuge and Gates of the Arctic. The NPS generally staffs the visitor center; however, both the FWS and NPS share maintenance of the facility and have year-round staff with offices in the building. NPS covers the utilities for the building, while FWS pays for utilities for the shared bunkhouse also located in Bettles. In addition, guests may enjoy exhibits, films and interpretive programs while visiting the facility.

The FWS and NPS also share a bunkhouse in Bettles; the FWS is the lead for this arrangement.

Additional Information: This is an isolated location (250 mi north of Fairbanks) open late May through early September. BLM is the lead agency on the building. The Manager of the building is a BLM employee. There are two permanent NPS and FWS Interpretative Park Rangers, who work part part-time. The staff has overlapping duties. The 3 agencies contribute to the funding of the building (see the Joint Operating Facilities Plan). Each agency shares the bills (e.g. one for electricity, etc.). This location aims at providing the public information for all the lands managed by the various agencies along this stretch of highway and offers excellent exhibits, interpretive programs and trip planning assistance.

FAPLIC is one of four centers found throughout the state that serves as your one-stop shopping experience for all information regarding public lands in Alaska. These centers provide information and education for all state and federal public land agencies in Alaska: National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Geological Survey, US Forest Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Alaska Department of Commerce and Economic Development, and Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.

The Fairbanks center is located in the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center. The NPS is the lead agency for FAPLIC and provides all staff for the location. It operates much like a typical NPS visitor center. FAPLIC provides brochures, maps, interpretive and education programs, exhibits, films, and trip planning assistance for all public lands in Alaska.